Council Requests Marathon El Paso Refinery Emissions Review and Monitoring (26-0954)

Discussion and action to approve and adopt a formal request by the El Paso City Council to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the emissions events, where TCEQ reported approximately 19.1 pounds of 1,3 butadiene, 8,887.9 pounds of propylene, and 862 pounds of sulfur oxide were released at the Marathon Petroleum Corporation El Paso Refinery on August 4 and 5, 2026, including a request that TCEQ and EPA convene, within 30 days, a joint public community meeting in El Paso with Marathon Petroleum Corporation to provide a detailed accounting of the events, the pollutants released, potential public-health impacts, air-monitoring data and methods, regulatory findings, and measures being taken to prevent similar incidents and improve public notification. Further, formally request that TCEQ and EPA evaluate the adequacy of existing air-quality and fence-line monitoring at and around the El Paso refinery and, to the extent authorized by applicable law and regulation, require or otherwise pursue enhanced continuous monitoring for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other appropriate air pollutants, with timely and publicly accessible monitoring data. Further, request that TCEQ and EPA evaluate and address the adequacy of Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s procedures for notifying nearby residents and public officials of emissions events and encourage or require, where authorized, the establishment of a timely community notification and alert system providing information regarding significant emissions events, pollutants involved, available air-quality monitoring information, potential public-health impacts, and recommended safety precautions. Further, approve and adopt the attached letter from the El Paso City Council to TCEQ and EPA memorializing these requests and seeking increased transparency, public disclosure, air-quality monitoring, community notification, and protection of public health related to operations of the Marathon Petroleum Corporation El Paso Refinery.

Vote: 8 for, 0 against

approve and adopt, as amended, a formal request to TCEQ and EPA about the Marathon El Paso Refinery emissions events (joint community meeting within 30 days or as soon as available, monitoring, notification) and the attached letter

The 1st motion (main motion) by Acevedo, seconded by Limón, was to approve the item. The minutes say it was 'unanimously carried' but print no separate tally. The 2nd motion (amendment, Maldonado-Rocha/Fierro) then carried 7-1. The main motion as amended carried unanimously. Citizen Patricia Osmond commented; the record does not state her position.